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Introduction: Urinary dysfunction has a strong impact clinically, socially, and economically. Although the development of acute urinary dysfunction in hospitalized patients with cancer is common in clinical practice, its occurrence and management strategies are scant in the literature. It has been reported as one of the more common medical complications in patients with cancer undergoing acute inpatient rehabilitation. This study assessed the frequency of and risk factors for acute urinary dysfunction among these patients and identified the interventions used for management. Methods: This is a retrospective study of consecutive patients admitted to a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center's acute inpatient rehabilitation service from 9/1/2020 through 3/15/2021. We excluded patients that were readmissions during the study time frame. We collected patients' demographic, clinical, and functional data. We defined acute urinary dysfunction as the development of any new urinary symptom(s) or diagnosis, which involved additional work-up and/or management after admission to the acute inpatient rehabilitation service. Results: Of the 176 total patients included in this study, 47 (27%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 20-34) patients had acute urinary dysfunction. The most frequent diagnoses were urinary tract infection (32%) and neurogenic bladder (26%). The most common tests were urine cultures (32%) and urinalyses (30%). The most commonly prescribed medications were antibiotics (32%) and alpha-1 blockers (15%). Other most frequent interventions included timed voiding (34%) and intermittent catheterization with bladder scans (28%). Acute urinary dysfunction was associated with an increased length of stay on the inpatient rehabilitation service (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06-1.20; P<.001), surgery during the index admission (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.21-5.16; P=.014), and fecal incontinence (OR, 6.41; 95% CI, 1.83-22.44; P=.004). Conclusion: Acute urinary dysfunction was noted to be a substantial problem in this cohort. This is an overlooked dimension of inpatient cancer rehabilitation that deserves more attention. Patients at risk for acute urinary dysfunction may benefit from close monitoring for medical management and rehabilitation interventions to maximize functional independence with bladder care. More research regarding acute urinary dysfunction types and management approaches in post-acute care settings for patients with cancer is justified.
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OBJECTIVE: Research is needed to guide the timing and safety of rehabilitation (physical and occupational therapy) in patients with acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) that is untreated due to contraindications. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 21-year-old man with Hodgkin lymphoma was admitted to the hospital for neutropenic fever. He developed gastrointestinal bleeding, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and bilateral lower-extremity DVT. He was not a candidate for chemical anticoagulation or placement of an inferior vena cava filter owing to thrombocytopenia. Rehabilitation was initially deferred because of concern that the thrombus could travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. Rehabilitation was, however, started 4 days after the initial diagnosis of lower-extremity DVT to assess functional mobility and activities of daily living skills to prepare for discharge from the hospital. RESULTS: The patient experienced no bleeding events during rehabilitation, and his acute, untreated DVT did not propagate based on clinical assessment. His Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) "6 Clicks" Basic Mobility score improved from 30.25 to 35.55 over the period of 11 days while he received rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: Despite having an acute bilateral lower-extremity DVT that was untreatable owing to thrombocytopenia, the patient successfully participated in rehabilitation and improved his physical functional status without an adverse event. Untreated acute venous thromboembolism in the setting of recent history of major bleeding raise concerns about physical activity restrictions. It is critical to consider both the risks and benefits of mobilizing patients and prescribing exercises in patients with these conditions.